Airbus and Tesat have successfully completed the first test campaign for optical data transmission from ground via EDRS.

What Is SpaceDataHighway? 

SpaceDataHighway™ (SDH) is Airbus’ delivery of high bandwidth space data relay services for both LEO satellites via pioneering laser communications infrastructure.

By utilizing the European Data Relay System (EDRS), a public–private partnership initiative between ESA (European Space Agency) and Airbus, SpaceDataHighway allows the transmission of customer data from your LEO satellites to receiving ground stations and data pick-up points in Europe.

A successful milestone for optical data transmission

In order to extend laser communications beyond Space to Space Applications into atmospheric applications,  the team of the Next Generation Optical Network study is investigating bringing customer data via optical links from ground via the EDRS GEO satellites. 

In this context the first of two test campaigns for optical data transmission between the Transportable Adaptive Optical Ground Station (T-AOGS – owned by DLR and TESAT) stationed at the Teide Observatory in Tenerife and the EDRS-C satellite has just been successfully completed.

66 links have been established between the two optical terminals leading to a cumulated communication time of 316 minutes and an estimated data transfer of 3.6 TB. In addition, the campaign has been used to gather substantial data for a better characterization of optical data links through the atmosphere.

This first test campaign forms the basis for extended stable links transferring large data files, which are due to be tested in a second campaign in July.